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• Section throws book at Franklin

• Big-box ban approved

• Stockton planners to vote tonight on growth to north, east

• 2 arrested, 2 pounds of meth seized in Flag City

• A month later, hazardous barrels remain a mystery

• Regional Roundup

November 2nd, 2009

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

November 8th, 2009

• Lodi High graduate was at Fort Hood

• Lining up for flu shots in Lodi

• Tour packs buses as birdwatchers admire Sandhill cranes

• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks

• Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

• Lodi High School rally featured on 'Good Day Sacramento'

• Out of control

• Homicide suspect Anthony Hubbard arraigned

• Regional Roundup

• New Lodi Memorial rule to combat spread of H1N1: Visitors must be older than 16

November 7th, 2009

• Lodi High graduate was at Fort Hood

• Lining up for flu shots in Lodi

• Tour packs buses as birdwatchers admire Sandhill cranes

• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks

• Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

• Lodi High School rally featured on 'Good Day Sacramento'

• Out of control

• Homicide suspect Anthony Hubbard arraigned

• Regional Roundup

• New Lodi Memorial rule to combat spread of H1N1: Visitors must be older than 16

November 6th, 2009

• Short sales make up nearly half of Lodi market

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi man accused of smuggling drugs, weapons for inmates at state prison

• 'I-5 Strangler' sentenced to 6 terms of life

• Jury convicts Acampo man of torture, assault of his girlfriend

• Young girl is 200,000th person to assemble AIDS, HIV care kit

• Woman in wheelchair struck by car

November 5th, 2009

• A lower Lodi Lake

• Streetside scarecrows

• San Joaquin County considers moratorium on new Williamson Act contracts

• Speakers address Lodi Unified School District budget shortfalls, plea to keep programs

• Armed robbers still targeting Lodi shops

• Regional Roundup

• California voters have final say over $11 billion water bond

• Weekend bus service to continue until Lodi City Council makes decision

• Paul Tebbel shines spotlight on sandhill cranes

• Your complete guide to Sandhill Crane Festival

• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy

• Man wanted in Acampo homicide gives up to San Joaquin County Sheriff's detectives

November 4th, 2009

• Candle fire

• Rep. Jerry McNerney sets telephone town hall for Thursday

• Jason Behrmann is unanimously named Galt's city manager

• Regional Roundup

• Galt City Council argues over ordinance hiring residents

• San Joaquin County sues state over prison hospital planned for Stockton

• Big win for Allen Baroni in reclamation election

• California sends Democratic loyalist John Garamendi to Congress

• Bicycling father raising awareness of teen suicide

• Lodi City Council weighs raising fares to restore some bus service

November 3rd, 2009

• 500 attend service for Kyle Coumas

• Correction

• Galt considers ordinance that would require city contractors to hire locally

• Regional Roundup

• Have you seen a missing guide dog puppy in Lodi?

• Galt man dies after weekend Highway 12 crash

• Jason Behrmann is top candidate for Galt city manager

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

• Clarification

November 2nd, 2009

• Downtown Lodi trick or treat

• Public Meetings

• Correction

• Kyle Coumas funeral today

• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home

• Regional Roundup

• Group investigates reports of haunting

• Sandhill Cranes Festival comes to Lodi next weekend

• Lamborghini lovers gather for show, fine wine, luncheon in Woodbridge

• Lodi's 'Biggest Loser' Christy Richesin runs 5K Halloween race

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

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Big-box ban approved

Galt council passes retail store ordinance; proposed Wal-Mart not scuttled

The Galt City Council passed an ordinance Tuesday banning retail stores of 140,000 square feet or larger that also sell groceries.

The 4-1 vote does not scuttle a proposed 132,000-square-foot Wal-Mart store on Twin Cities Road east of Highway 99.

The council considered a Planning Commission-recommended ban on 120,000-square-foot stores that would have killed Wal-Mart's plans, but decided to pass the ordinance as it was originally written. Councilman Darryl Clare dissented.

"We're disappointed that the council decided to vote against consumer choice," Wal-Mart spokesman Aaron Rios said after the meeting. "But we are pleased that they raised the threshold to allow our proposal to go forward."

About 100 Galt residents packed the Council chambers for a standing-room-only debate that became heated at times. Speakers for and against the ordinance reflected a split in a community that craves shopping options but clings to its small-town image.

Supporters of the ordinance said big box stores like Wal-Mart take customers from small businesses, forcing those businesses to close and leaving communities blighted.

Mayor Tim Raboy gives his opinion on the ordinance banning big-box stores in Galt on Tuesday evening during the Galt City Council meeting. (Angelina Gervasi/News-Sentinel)

Opponents said Galt, with lagging sales tax receipts, is in no position to limit business in the city. They said they loathed having to drive to Lodi or Elk Grove to buy simple things like socks.

Many people saw the debate as a referendum on Wal-Mart in Galt. One group of residents from the Emerald Village neighborhood near the proposed Wal-Mart supported the store but didn't want it in their backyard because of the traffic it would create.

Vice Mayor Andrew Meredith, who spearheaded the ordinance, said the law was about protecting the community not limiting Wal-Mart's plans.

"This is in no way an ordinance to keep one project from happening," he said. "We started this long before we had a proposal from Wal-Mart."

Galt resident Reuven Epstein said Wal-Mart would provide a shopping option in a city where businesses are not booming.

"People keep saying it's going to hurt existing businesses," he said. "I'm not sure what existing businesses. There aren't many. You can't buy much in the way of shoes or other clothing."

David John said government shouldn't meddle in business.

"Don't tell business what to do," he said. "We're in a free market enterprise system."

Supporters of the ordinance, like Connie Connelly, said allowing big box stores in Galt is a slap in the face to small business owners.

"Small business made Galt what it is," she said. "We need to treat small business with respect."

Speaking before the council, Rios held a stack of postcards he said were from Wal-Mart supporters. Wal-Mart mailed letters to Galt residents in the past week urging them to voice their support for the large retailer.

As Rios explained Wal-Mart's plan for a Galt store, some members in the audience booed and cut him off.

In voting against the ordinance, Clare said the law doesn't solve the issue of traffic near the proposed Wal-Mart.

"We did nothing about Wal-Mart tonight," he said. "We still have to solve the traffic problem."

Meredith said he will work on an amendment to the ordinance that would limit retail store hours from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Contact reporter Matt Brown at mattb@lodinews.com.